Gardeners at Buckland Abbey in Devon have successfully cultivated an exceptionally large cabbage, measuring four feet in diameter and weighing 22 pounds. The Cornish Giant brassica, described by senior gardener Sam Brown as overflowing their largest wheelbarrow, won a friendly competition held among gardening teams from National Trust properties across the Tamar Valley and Cornwall.

The oversized cabbage is part of a larger, productive harvest at the historic Buckland Abbey estate, which also yielded an abundant crop of pumpkins and squashes. Gardeners and volunteers attributed the success to the notably hot and dry summer conditions, which favored the growth of these vegetables.

The harvest’s results will be exhibited in the Great Hall of Buckland Abbey during the upcoming Harvest Weekend, scheduled for October 24 and 25. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Tavistock Foodbank, reinforcing the connection between the estate’s agricultural efforts and local community support.

While impressive, the 22-pound cabbage remains well short of the UK record for the largest cabbage, set in 2014 by David Thomas of Leedstown, Cornwall, who grew a specimen weighing 124.34 pounds. Nonetheless, Buckland Abbey’s contribution underscores the continued enthusiasm and expertise of gardening teams within the National Trust network.